Reason to Smile
by Izzu
Summary: Based on episode 39 & 40. Even for a bit, he wanted Ankh to be able to leave the troubling thoughts aside and smile.
1. C1: I want to see you smile

az: Because Te o tsunagou was giving me ideas. I swear Naruse Shuuhei-san was inserting plot hints in every song he composed intentionally...

Edited, because I tend to notice stuffs. Might amend a bit of Trapped as well, but maybe later. Guess you can say this was Eiji's complimentary shot to Rescue Me. Or was it? XD

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><p><span>Reason to Smile<span>

I want to see you smile

Written by Izzu

o

o

__All I wanted was to see you smile...__

It was because Ankh had been so distraught, so alarmed. That he wanted to do something to cheer him up. But Ankh would never tell him what was bothering him no matter how much he pressed him about it. So how could he make Ankh feel better if he did not even_ _know__what the problem was?

That was why, even if it was by coincidence; he wanted to celebrate Shingo's birthday with Ankh and Hina. Even if it was just a small bit of cheer, if it could lift a smile onto Ankh's face—regardless if it was actually the detective's face—it would worth all the efforts done to make it happen.

It was very rare for him to see Ankh smile. The rare few times when Ankh_ did,_was when he had asked Ankh about his reasoning for collecting his core medals. Even then he was not sure if that was a good smile. Ankh often sneered though, but he would not count those as smiles.

Oh, there were several other times he did sincerely smile out of happiness. It was those few times when Ankh got his daily dose of ice creams or when Hina had given him that Valentine choco ice the other day. But right now, he was not sure if that alone could cheer Ankh up. The thing that freaked Ankh up seemed to be very serious. The nightmare he said he was having, should not have been out of something trivial—even if Ankh rarely had any.

There was no gentler way of saying it, but seeing Ankh so grumpy every day can be a bit annoying. Even then, that was better than seeing Ankh being so afraid. Even rarer than seeing Ankh smile, it was to see Ankh being seriously terrified.

He never actually ask Ankh about it but he had always sensed there was something Ankh was not telling them about what happened eight hundred years ago. But maybe he did, just that he has not drawn attention to it.

Eiji had a guess though, it was related to the previous OOO betraying him. Ankh might look as if he was indifferent about it, but being with him long enough until now Eiji knew that there was still a part of Ankh that was as innocent as a child. That time when the previous OOO had stabbed him to take some of Ankh's cores away, that must have been unexpected. Certainly it would not be hard to imagine Ankh being traumatised by that experience thus become wary of getting close to anyone anymore, for fear of being betrayed again.

That... was something he wanted to change. Since he had depended on Ankh for far too much a time, he hoped that Ankh would be able to depend on him in return.

Because Ankh is a very important person to him. The least Eiji could do for him is to give him a reason to smile about, even during times like these when they still had to take care of the Yummy and other Greeeds' problem. And of course, of the_ other _Ankh__ who would jump at every chance of taking away Ankh from him.


	2. C2: Awkward apologies & awkward cheering

az: It's been a while since I wrote on this plot. Tons of muses had been distracting me from this. XD

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><p><span>Reason to Smile<span>

Awkward apologies and awkward cheering

Written by Izzu

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"_I would have driven him out. I have promised..."_

That time when he said that, he had turned to look at Ankh. Ankh had lowered his head, was he crying? He had spoken without thinking, despite that was the truth—a part of him had wished he had thought about it a bit more or reworded it better. Have he hurt Ankh's feelings that time?

There was no time to talk about it earlier, what with the Yummy and the cops—even if it seemed Ankh was not bothered about it...

Eiji looked up towards Ankh, who was leaning beside a tree. Ah... now that they have nothing to do—they could not even go back to help out in Cous Coussier after all—what else could they do to while the time now?

Well, perhaps now was the good time to...

"Hey, Ankh... about earlier, if what I said hurt you—"

"Shut up! Don't talk to me!"

Eiji sighed. Ankh did not even turn his head to look at him when he answered. Guess he must have been hurt. Even though that was the truth... they should not be endangering Shingo-san any longer. But still, that did not mean that...

To think before all of this had started, he had planned to have that birthday party to cheer Ankh up. From that _nightmare_ he refused to admit he had.

He sighed again.

"Hey, Ankh. _Now_ can you tell me what's bothering you this morning? You have been so tired so I let you nap beside the counter while I clean up the place alone, and then you suddenly woke up and went all frantic—what was it you dreamed about?"

He could swear that he saw Ankh twitched a little, yet he still would not tell. Eiji got up and walked towards him before Ankh suddenly turned and walked away from him and sat on the bench. Eiji rolled his eyes at Ankh before leaning against _another_ tree.

"You know Ankh... being afraid after getting a nightmare was not that bad, a lot of people are like that. But usually people talk it out with other people in order to make them feel better again—"

Ankh snapped back at him before standing up.

"Just mind your own business, Eiji!"

Eiji shook his head. "Ankh! What's wrong with you? That nightmare... did it have anything to do about the previous OOO? Was that why you were so afraid? Was that why you're so scared that I might betray you like he did? Just tell me, _talk _to me about it... Ankh!"

Ankh glared at him as he stomped towards him as if intending to punch him, but instead of doing that he let out a disgruntled sigh and walked away. Eiji smiled at him weakly before following him from behind.

xxx

He kept his silence as they reached the riverbed. Ankh kept on walking and walking, not telling where he was heading to or what was he thinking about as he continued walking aimlessly...

Oh, Eiji knew that Ankh was thinking deeply about something. It was evident in how he had hung his head, the way he was slightly slouching... how occasionally his steps started to sway to one side to another—looking at Ankh's back like this made he want to just hug him to make him feel better. But Ankh would probably just kick him away or something like that. Really... this Ankh, looking so helpless he could not stand watching it.

He thought by opening up the topic about how they first started being together would drop his guard a bit. Well, that did not work out so well... what with him trying to strangle Hina suddenly. But at least he managed to get him talking? Or get his concerns through?

Eiji glanced towards Hina and Chiyoko as they started setting up the table and everything before walking up towards Ankh again.

"As I expected... you're still bothered about me going berserk and that thing about the previous OOO?"

Ankh brushed him off. "Get off my wing! What did you expect me to say for you to stop bugging me?"

Now he started to be his whiny self. Well... whiny was good. He smiled.

"I expected nothing from you. Just please... let us reach out to you? Ankh... all of us _cared_ about you. Me... Hina-chan, Chiyoko-san... can you please forget the worrying stuff for a while and enjoy yourself?"

Ankh started to pout. That was cute of him. Honestly this Ankh, did _he_ have to always drag him around in other to get him to do things? Ah well... if Ankh allowed _him_ to push him around like this, that must have meant something for sure. Eiji chuckled to himself.

"O-oi! W-what're you laughing about?"

Eiji grinned at him. Even with the sunset colouring everything so orangey right now, he could still see the faint tinge of pink on Ankh's cheeks. How could Ankh be so adorable? Why was he worrying about this guy so much?

"It's nothing, you idiot."

"Who's calling me idiot, Idiot?"

And he laughed again.

xxx

He had to give it to Chiyoko-san. She was awesome like that and from what Hina was just telling him, she just got even better. As expected of someone like her to be able to break through the walls Ankh had been building around himself.

"Now, open your mouth... Ankh, this is an ice cream cake! If you don't hurry, it'll melt before you can eat it!"

"Stop it! It's—" Eiji laughed as Chiyoko managed to feed the cake to Ankh. The wounded look Ankh was wearing was PRICELESS. Even when he was still pouting everyone could see he was starting to enjoy himself. He could watch Chiyoko pampering Ankh forever.

Eiji smiled as Ankh finally started to eat more of his birthday cake.

"It's good, right? You like it? Say that you love it!"

Eiji snorted as Chiyoko continued to poke Ankh to make him respond before—was he imagining that? Ankh, he... he smiled! There was no mistaken that neat row of teeth peeking out from his thin lips. He finally SMILED!

"Oi! What're you goofing off over there, Eiji!"

And... then the smile was gone. Just when he started to feel so good about this. Eiji sighed. Well, at least it managed to cheer Ankh a bit.

xxx

Ankh's head suddenly dropped towards his shoulders as Eiji turned to look. Finally after all the excitement, Ankh finally exhausted himself for the night.

"Thank goodness, I thought he'd never sleep."

Hina turned towards him suddenly. "Eh? What did you mean, Eiji-kun?"

Eiji shrugged before starting to explain everything to her from the very beginning. Hina sighed.

"I... see. Sorry about that... I guess I raised that question at the wrong time is it?"

Eiji shook his head. "N-no. It's not Hina's fault. I guess it's mine... in a way. I should have realized as well that maybe because of that nightmare, even Ankh was not able to think calmly about things. And _that_ leading to your brother getting hurt. Added with that talk about driving him away—anyway Hina, thanks for the birthday idea. It could not come at the most crucial time."

Hina smiled weakly as she placed her hand on Ankh's arm. "Nn... don't mind it. I guess... even Ankh, has things that he worries about."

Eiji snorted as he ran a hand over Ankh's hair. "Yeah. Guess that was why I was trying my best to cheer him back after all that. I wanted to give him a reason to smile happily, even for a short time."


End file.
